Love in the Dark
by lil'chrome-chan
Summary: "You're my best friend, you know?" "If you'd ask me, M'lady, I would've told you we could be more." In which Marinette's health is deteriorating and neglected, and Adrien wish he noticed sooner. Written before S2E9
1. Chapter 1

**Yes, please kill me for writing another fanfic on top of so many unfinished fanfics but I just need to write something for this fandom. I've been so infatuated by this series for the longest time but I never wrote anything for it because I was scared of adding more abandoned fanfic.**

 **I thought of this plot a day before eps 9 aired and after eps 9 aired, it pushed me to actually write it out and post it. I hope you guys will enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it!**

 **By the way, I am yukifrill on instagram and I draw MLB fanarts from time to time. I'm also making merchs of them so if you're interested to buy, drop me a DM on my ig :) I want to know more people who are in this fandom because it's simply hard to find where I live :(**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!**

* * *

 _ **[Love in the Dark]**_

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.

 _Chapter 1_

Adrien sat, dangling his legs nonchalantly despite the height he was in. In his hands was Plagg, chomping onto his Camembert like his life depended on it.

In front of him, he could see the landscape of Paris basked in beautiful orange light. A year ago, this view would've been an unattainable dream. A fantasy of some sort. But ever since he was Chat Noir, this view had morphed into some kind of norm. He adored this view and the sense of freedom it came with. He would've flashed a smile if only he wasn't so tensed right now.

Behind him, he could hear the soft munching sounds from what seemed like Ladybug's kwami, accompanied by the sound of the heroine's thankfully-even breathing.

He looked at the orange sky and was reminded how just an hour ago, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

No. If he had to be honest, everything had been blown out of proportion for a while now. He just didn't see it. He just chose to turn a blind eye to it. He wanted to believe nothing was wrong. But boy was he so mistaken. And now it was going to cost him his best friend, his partner as well as the love of his life.

He blinked a tear out of his eye and wet his lips.

He had to be strong.

For her, too.

.

.

.

 _[Two days ago]_

Marinette tucked her hoodie lower to hide her face further. She looked around, bluebell eyes under the hood's shadow, to spot anyone she knew and let out a sigh of relief when she found none.

Dashing out of the shop, she quickly dove into the closest alley.

"I'll never get used to this," she mumbled, letting Tikki fly out of her jacket's pocket.

"Marinette, you need to see a doctor," the kwami said almost too quickly, and despite the gentle tone, she was dead serious. A frown laced her small face as she pouted.

"Please," the bluehead muttered as she opened the plastic bag in her hand and took out a bottle of pills. "Don't make a big deal out of a recurring stomachache." She popped a pill into her hand before swallowing it and then sighing.

"You almost fainted from the pain last week if Alya didn't give you the remedy." It was a statement.

Unaffected by Tikki's serious tone, Marinette rolled her eyes and waved her hand. "I can be pretty dramatic sometimes."

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

The said girl tensed. It was the second time Tikki had ever said her fullname ever since they met and last time it was when she got reckless and almost died when trying to capture an Akuma without Chat's help. Her kitty had arrived at the nick of time and it saved her so she simply saw the whole incident as thrilling instead of frightening. But it seemed that the red kwami didn't share her opinion.

Marinette avoided Tikki's concerned big blue eyes and sighed. "Alright. Maybe I'll talk to my parents about it later."

A smile grew on the kwami's face before she hugged her Chosen's cheek. "That's more like it!" she squeaked and giggled.

Marinette giggled with her.

Marinette opened her jacket's pocket for Tikki to fly in and tucked her hoodie down when she was going to step out of the alley, but was abruptly stopped by a chest in front of her. She almost stumbled backward if only the said person didn't catch her hand on time.

"Whoa, careful there, Princess!"

That suave voice could only belong to one person.

"Chat Noir?" She looked up and blinked. "What are you doing out here at this hour? Is there a villain?" _Did you see Tikki? Oh my God._ She looked around for signs of panic and evacuation but found none.

"Nope. This cat loves to wander around in suit as much as he loves catnip," he said proudly, pointing his nose upward. "By no means to be rude, Princess, what's up with your clothes today? You're normally more… I don't know, pink?"

Marinette looked at herself again. Dull, gray hoodie jacket with questionable ownership and loose jeans as well as black sneakers. It was actually impossible to tell her gender with these clothes on and that made her wonder.

"How did you know it was me?" she removed her hoodie to let him see her more clearly.

"It's your smell," he said with a goofy smile as he mock-sniffed her, earning a playful punch in the arm before they both laughed.

"What about my smell?" she asked, a bit defensive.

He tapped a finger on his chin, pretending to think. "You smell like delicious pastries and flowers. Don't ask me if that combination is possible," he said before pointing at his nose. "This guy does not compromise."

"Are you only like this as Chat Noir or does your civilan self have sharp nose in the first place?" She was too late to stop herself. She was honestly just curious, although she knew she wasn't supposed to ask a question that might lead to him revealing hints of his identity.

"Hmmm," he hummed. "Now that you mention it, I don't think I can smell you this well as my civilian self–"

"Wait, wait, you know me in real life?" she spluttered, eyes wide.

Chat cocked his eyebrow at first but a second later, his eyes shot open and he slapped his mouth. "Oops!" he squeaked before grinning shyly. "Cat's out of the bag?"

Crap. She shouldn't know who he was but now he's making her curious. But before her mind play with her more, a scream of distress broke the tension between them.

"Uh-oh, duty call! Get somewhere safe and see you around, Princess!"

Chat left in a hurry and why did she think it was not only because of the urgency of duty? He was never the dutiful one in their partnership for all she knew.

Marinette shook her head.

Forget that cat. She needed to focus.

"Tikki, spots on!"

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 ** _I tried to use a new style when writing this. I usually have long chapters but here I want to try making short chapters because I think it's easier to read that way. Do drop me your opinions if you prefer long chapters though._**

 ** _See you soon!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi again so soon! I finished this chapter last night but decided to upload today so I get some time to write chapter 3. I'm surprised by how well this fanfic is doing and it gives me more motivation to continue writing! Thank you so much for the kind responses guys!**

 **I'm not sure how long this fanfic will be but probably not more than 5 chapter. But psstt don't trust this girl when she set a number for her chapters because she never keeps it lmao**

 **Shameless promotion again but please do check out my ig _yukifrill_ because I draw and make MLB merchs hohohoho**

 **!**

 **[WARNING: CONTAINS MILD SPOILER FROM S2E9 AS THIS IS SET AFTER THAT EPISODE! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISKS!]**

 **!**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!**

* * *

 _ **[Love in the Dark]**_

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.

 _Chapter 2_

Marinette fluttered her eyes open and immediately winced at the sudden light. She hovered a hand above her face and tried to look around.

Where was she?

"Mari – Ladybug! You're awake!"

It was Tikki's voice.

"M'lady? How are you feeling?"

Chat's voice sounded a bit far.

She squeezed her eyes shut to ease the pain before she opened them again, now more adjusted to the light. That's when she saw her bare hand.

Wait.

She was out of suit.

Abruptly, she made an attempt to get up to see if Chat had seen her, but a jolt of pain attacked her abdomen and she was forced to lie down on the hard surface again. Only by then did she realize that she was on top of the Eiffel tower, and the memory of their Akuma battle slowly returned into her head.

"Please don't try to get up yet. The pill is still taking effect." Tikki suddenly appeared beside her and stroked her cheek lovingly.

Marinette nodded but still casted a worried glance at Chat's general direction, only to find his back facing her. It was his civilian form. All she saw was blond hair and white shirt… or was it a jacket?

"As for me, M'lady, I didn't see your face. Don't worry, your secret's safe," Chat said in his usual playful tone as he leaned a bit backward so she could hear him better.

Marinette looked at Tikki as the kwami nodded, confirming that Chat really didn't see her. The weight on her shoulder was lifted just like that. She wouldn't want to confront him if he ever knew his Lady was his Princess.

But really, from time to time her kitty would surprise her with how gentlemanly he was. She was very touched that he didn't take this opportunity to find out who she was behind the mask.

"Chat?" she called for him.

"Yes, M'lady?"

"Thanks for everything."

.

.

.

 _[One day ago – 01.00 am]_

Marinette curled under her blanket, pressing a hand on her stomach like it could ease the pain. Her stomach felt like it was sliced whenever she moved, and there was a tear every time that she blinked. She could feel cold sweat slowly forming and seeping through the fabric of her pajamas. She held her breath, because it was only then that the pain paused, and tried to wiggle her way out of the bed to get her painkillers.

"Marinette, are you hurting again?" Tikki asked, flying to her side.

"Oh," the bluehead looked at her kwami apologetically, her breathing slightly heavy because she'd been holding it. "Did I wake you up? I'm sorry, I just need to get the pills and then go back to sleep."

"Oh, Marinette," Tikki whimpered in sorrow before flying to get the bottle of pills from Marinette's drawer and flew back as quick. "You should've just asked me for help."

Giggling nervously, Marinette tried to get up and rested her back on a pillow before popping a pill into her mouth and swallowing it. Tikki offered her a glass of water, which she accepted gratefully.

"You need to talk to your parents today." Tikki rested on her left shoulder.

She let herself fall further into the pillow and let out a content sigh as the pain slowly dissipated. "I will, Tikki, I will," she mumbled, quickly feeling drowsy. "Is after school alright with you?"

"I think it's perfect!"

They both giggled.

.

.

.

Adrien groaned and plopped onto his bed.

"Seriously, kid, you've been walking in circle for half an hour. I've been trying to ignore you but there goes my whole patience. What on Earth is it this time?" Plagg whined as he threw the last chunk of Camembert into his large mouth and swallowed it in one go.

Adrien answered but his voice was muffled by the bed.

Plagg nodded. "Oh, I see. Don't think too much about it and go to sleep, please. You're giving me a headache I didn't know I'm capable of having."

Shooting up from his position, Adrien casted his kwami an annoyed look. "You didn't even hear what I said."

"Now that you mention it, I didn't!" Plagg said, with a tone like he just said ' _Eureka!'_ as he opened his arms, earning a deeper frown from his Chosen. "But you know what? It doesn't matter either way because I'll respond with the exact same thing. I would bet my whole secret Camembert stash that it's just another love dilemma that'll mercilessly stir the insides of my stomach."

Groaning, Adrien shifted to a sitting position by the edge of his bed. "Dammit, Plagg, you could at least pretend you ca– Wait, you have a secret stash?"

"I might or might not have a secret stash."

"Ew, Plagg! And I was wondering why my room smells like you all the time! The maids have been asking me about it!"

"Every Chat Noir must have excuses ready for bad smell." Plagg twirled his paw around. "It is the norm around here."

"A norm you apparently didn't care to explain to me for a year." Adrien rolled his eyes and dropped his body onto the bed again, now facing the ceiling. He closed his eyes and remembered the events from the afternoon where he almost spilled the beans to Marinette. He wondered what made him do that.

No. He already knew what.

He was running away from his piano lesson as Chat Noir. It was nothing new. He did that often. Just pretending he was playing piano diligently in his room while in reality he was running around in spandex, as free as a bird. The first time he did it, he came back after half an hour. Because how long could someone play the piano perfectly nonstop without it starting to feel obviously fake? The second time he went, there was an Akuma attack half an hour after he went out so he took almost two hours to return home. And yet, nobody seemed to know he was missing.

Sometimes he wondered if anybody in the house really cared whether he was around.

Honestly, ever since his mother disappeared, Adrien had doubted anybody cared about him genuinely. Sure, now he had Nino, the best friend anyone could ever ask for. And although none of them knew him in depth, he loved all his classmates. And then among those classmates, there was this sweet, brave girl who couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence around him but would whip the ass of anyone who dared to mess with her friends. She was technically one of the first friends he'd made at school, but even after a year, their relationship seemed to be stuck in one place. He always wondered where he went wrong.

And then there was Ladybug. Charismatic and charming, know-it-all Ladybug. The girl who always made him feel like he was on cloud nine. The girl who would always save the day. The girl who stole his heart as she gallantly stood on top of the Eiffel tower and smiled daringly at a villain, promising the citizens that she, with him, would save them no matter what.

She was also the girl who rejected his love by saying he was her best friend.

The girl who felt pain when she broke his heart, trying her best to gather the pieces and fix him up in the kindest way possible.

The girl whose cheek he kissed as his heart disgustingly fluttered even when he accepted her rejection.

The girl who, two months before, broke down when she wasn't able to save a citizen from an Akuma attack.

The girl who carried a bloody body of a victim and brought him to his family by herself.

The girl who cried on his shoulder saying she had failed.

She was the love of his life and nothing could change that. Nobody had ever made him feel the way she did.

But then, there was sweet little Marinette who let him confide in her when his heart was broken by Ladybug the first time. He'd always held her dear. He still kept everything she gave him; the lucky charm, the signed Jagged Stone album, even the plastic bag from her bakery. Because he hadn't actually had friends for the longest time, he had this habit to collect everything a friend gave him. There were not many of them anyway.

And then he remembered that moment he smelled Marinette's scent this afternoon. That moment, in his head, he actually imagined Ladybug instead of his shy friend. But when he arrived in front of her, he knew it couldn't be the love of his life. And he started wondering why they had the same scent. And why he hadn't noticed until that very moment.

When Marinette showed him his bluebell eyes he was striked by overfamiliarity.

It was his Lady's eyes.

"Plagg?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Do you know who Ladybug really is?"

Plagg's ears perked up before he smirked. Hey, this one could be fun. "Oh yeah, you bet I do. Remember that time you fought the Black Owl? I saw her civilian form, nice and clear! Uh-huh!"

Adrien sighed. "You know what, I think I know who she is."

"You do?" Plagg's eyes went wide as he flew to Adrien's side. "Let's hear who you have in mind. She certainly isn't a celebrity or a model like you've always thought," the kwami ended teasingly.

Adrien closed his eyes again before inhaling.

"I think it's Marinette."

And Plagg's sharp intake of air was all the answer he needed.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 _ **Did you enjoy the second chapter? I'm not sure if it's too boring because there was barely any interaction between our favorite boy and girl. But fret not, there will be plenty of them in the next chapter! How do you guys think Adrien will reveal himself to his one and only Lady?**_

 _ **See that small button below? I'll give you my love if you drop some reviews because reviews make my day and night and life HAHAHA**_


	3. Chapter 3

**So, uh, anyone still dying from episode 10 trailer? Because I most certainly am. For a second last night, I even forgot the plot for this fanfic because my brain was fried. I will not go on the specifics about the trailer because I don't wanna spoil it for the people who haven't watched it but please go check it out because, guys, trust me, you'll fry your brain too.**

 **Anyways! Whew I typed really fast and I breezed through the whole thing but didn't really pay enough attention to proofread but I hope there aren't many errors in this chapter.**

 **You know that scene in the summary? It's actually the first scene that I wrote but it's been tossed to chapter 4 yesterday and tossed to chapter 5 today. By now, I honestly wonder when we'll ever get to that scene. Hopefully soon because I like how I wrote that scene ;)**

 **Anyway, wow! Just W O W, guys! I didn't expect to get even better responses for chapter 2 because I thought it's a bit boring and is more like a bridge chapter. Don't kill me but this chapter is also not moving forward but instead, backward. This flashback will take two chapters and then we can finally return to the original timeline!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!**

* * *

 _ **[Love in the Dark]**_

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.

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 _Chapter 3_

 _[Two months ago]_

"It's getting away!"

Ladybug yelled as the white Akuma leapt off to an abandoned two-story building, Chat running two feet in front of her. The battle had dragged on for hours and it had drained a great deal of their stamina, leaving no more room for doubting and second thought.

"Chat! The building! Now!"

"But, Ladybug, this is too risky!"

"There's no time! Do it now! My magic will fix everything, trust me!"

Chat bit his lip and contemplated for a second before he decided to swallow it. Nothing bad had ever come from trusting his Lady. And it didn't have to change now.

"Cataclysm!"

.

.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

And just like that, all the damage caused by their previous battle was flawlessly fixed. Bright pink light engulfed the city and in a blink, it was the beautiful Paris once again.

Chat was mesmerized. Ladybug's healing magic never failed to amaze him every time.

The blond smiled and held out a fist towards his Lady for their signature fist bump but cocked his head to the side when he saw the blood draining from her face.

"Ladybug?"

"Oh no…" she mumbled, with a tone that chilled his bone, and eyes widened. "No, no, no," she kept mumbling to herself as she took steps forward, completely ignoring his existence. He slowly trailed the direction of her gaze and was frozen in place as well.

Where Ladybug was running to was a man, lying limp on the solid ground where the collapsed building once was. The sight was already frightening even before Chat spotted the fresh and thick red liquid oozing from the corner of the man's mouth as he coughed out more. His body experienced a series of tremors and was just too heartbreaking to look at.

Chat saw Ladybug cradle the man into her arms before she asked him to call an ambulance.

"Sshh, it's going to be alright," the hero in cat suit heard her whisper to the man as he explained the situation on his baton phone. "Stay strong for me. And stay strong for your family as I'm sure they're waiting for you at home." She held his hand reassuringly as she fought back tears.

"You're going to be alright, I promise."

.

.

.

Ladybug insisted to accompany the man in the ambulance because they couldn't contact his family. She had disappeared to recharge her kwami while waiting for the ambulance to come. Chat Noir followed the vehicle by jumping from roof to roof after he recharged Plagg, his heart beating fast like never before. Nearly a year since he started the superhero activity and this was the first time anything like this happened.

He thought maybe both he and Ladybug had gone too laxed thanks to her seemingly invincible healing magic. It had never failed them and therefore, they had never doubted it.

"It's my fault."

Ladybug said as she dropped herself onto the waiting seat, burying her face into her hands and she inhaled sharply.

"No, it's not." He immediately denied. " _I_ destroyed the building."

"Under my command." She dropped her hands to her lap and sighed.

Chat sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulder reassuringly and was relieved that she scooted closer. "You were just doing what you should have done. Surely nobody can blame you for it. Somebody had to do the job." Ladybug kept shaking her head as he talked. And it was only then he realized that there was blood all over her costume and some on the exposed skin of her face. "By no means to disregard him, that man was just there at the wrong time." He finished.

"Please, Chat. Don't do this. We know it's all me." She trembled slightly but tried to keep her composure. "I shouldn't have made such reckless judgment in the heat of the moment. I was unprofessional."

"You're being too hard on yourself, M'lady." His shoulders dropped as he frowned.

Ladybug shook her head again. "Why didn't the healing magic work?" she asked to no one in particular. "If that man was injured by the Akuma, he should've been healed by the magic."

"Well maybe he was injured by other causes that have got nothing to do with you then." She didn't seem convinced. "Come on, Bugaboo, not everything has to be your fault."

She hummed and rested her head on his shoulder, burying her cheek into his shoulder blade. If they weren't in such tense situation, he would've gotten a heart attack, did a silent scream, and somersaulted to the end of the world from the sudden intimate skin contact.

"Thanks for being sweet, Chat. I really appreciate it."

"Well, being sweet to you is only one of my many talents." He winked at her and she snorted.

"You're such a dork."

She smiled and snuggled closer.

.

.

.

"I am very sorry. We did everything we could."

That one sentence was all it needed to throw all Chat's attempts to cheer Ladybug up into the gutter. After they waited for an hour that seemed like forever, the doctor emerged from the operation room, shaking his head.

"He lost too much blood. There was almost nothing we could do."

After that, he tossed a bunch of medical terms that both superheroes didn't bother to register because only one fact mattered: they had let a civilian die.

Ladybug broke down and fell onto her knees, eyes wide in shock.

And when he saw the pain in her face and the tears in her eyes, he felt like his whole world fell apart, too.

.

.

.

"Ladybug, let me help–"

"It's alright, kitty, I got this."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, not answering him verbally. And then they both jumped from building to building, Ladybug carrying the bloody dead man in her arms. As Chat Noir follower behind her, she looked broken. He wanted nothing but to hug her and tell her it's alright but he knew nothing was. And if he tried to say it, he was sure she would break further.

.

.

After going back to the incident location, they had finally found some people who recognized the man and was able to give them his address.

"Mommy, look! It's Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

It was a boy no older than Manon. There were a few teeth missing and it showed when he smiled brightly; his blue eyes lighting up at the sight of his favorite superheroes. He tugged his mother's sleeve energetically.

"Really? Where–Oh my God…" the woman's voice was weak as her shoulders slumped.

"Daddy?" the little boy tilted his head. "Mommy, why is daddy red? He looks kind of like Ladybug!"

Ladybug held her breath and she placed the man on the bench in his home's yard, looking at the woman and her son approach him. Then both she and Chat Noir took a few steps backward.

"He does, huh, honey?"

"Maybe we can add the dots so he'll look even more like her!"

"Sssh, don't disturb your daddy. He needs to rest."

"Aww…" The boy looked down and frowned. "Okay, but will he play with me tomorrow?"

The woman shook her head softly. "Mommy doesn't think daddy can play with you anymore, sweetie. He's sleeping."

"Forever?"

"Forever."

"But why? Who will play baseball with me every Sunday, then? Daddy promised to teach me how to ride bicycle next week! Is he going to break his promise?"

"Honey, listen, your daddy… he may not be with you now but he'll always stay in your heart. He won't leave you. You're his happiness. He told you that, didn't he?"

"So why isn't he waking up, then?"

Ladybug's jaw trembled as she wet her lips and turned somewhere else before blinking a tear away, unable to hear more of the conversation. Chat could see she mouthed "I'm sorry" over and over again as she gripped her arm.

"Ladybug–"

Before Chat could grab onto her, she zipped away with her yo-yo and disappeared into the dark.

.

.

.

Marinette detransformed inside her bedroom and immediately rushed to the restroom, throwing up her lunch into the toilet bowl. Tikki immediately flew behind her to stroke her back.

"Sssh, Marinette, it's alright. It's alright."

The bluehead choked and sobbed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She gripped the fabric of her shirt above her chest and squeezed her eyes shut; letting a stream of hot tears she'd been holding trail down her cheeks. There was still blood in her face but she didn't bother to clean it up.

"Marinette, it's not your fault."

She shook her head so hard it could fall off her neck.

"I–I let a little boy's father die… I… I'm a failure, Tikki. Everybody must be," she choked "so disappointed in Ladybug."

Tikki's heart broke as she saw her Chosen curl into a ball by the corner of the restroom, sobbing while trembling like a little child. She knew what happened was too huge for a middle school girl to handle, but the kwami genuinely thought it was not Marinette's fault. If the man was injured during Akuma attack, the healing magic would have healed him. She didn't have an explanation yet, but she was sure he was injured by other means. However, before she had an answer, she doubted the bluehead would believe anything she said.

Until then, Tikki did nothing but stay by her Chosen's side, waiting for her crying to subside.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 _ **More shameless promotion but, check out my ig**_ **yukifrill _because I draw MLB art and make merchs! ;)_**

 ** _Hey, you guys see that cute button under this author note? I'll give you my love if you drop some comments he he he_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, there goes my attempt to keep the chapters short. This chapter is 2.4K words not including the author note rip**

 **On another note, the amount of favorite and follows for this story is so far apart I can't help but feel puzzled as to why? Normally it's not that far apart but for this story, the follow is literally more than two times the favorite. Wow.**

 **Anyway, I'm glad you guys enjoy the story so far and I hope I can continue updating on a regular schedule!**

 **!**

 **WARNING FOR ANGST!**

 **!**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!**

* * *

 _ **[Love in the Dark]**_

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.

.

 _Chapter 4_

For a week after the incident, Marinette had never gotten a good night sleep. She would either toss and turn in her sleep, or simply had recurring nightmares about the incident; sometimes even a more dramatic and unrealistically-gruesome version of it. She would wake up covered in sweat and stayed awake for hours until she had to go to school. The fact that nobody really blamed Ladybug, aside from a small group of haters who had always been inevitably there, for the man's death actually made her feel worse. At one point of the first week, Marinette had turned to sleeping pills because she severely needed sleep to regain her virtually non-existent stamina, especially because of increasing school project as a second year.

As Ladybug, she tried her best to appear as confident and levelheaded and… basically as Ladybug as she could pull off, but it seemed that Chat had caught on to her culminating stress. She had the feeling he was going to confront her about it, but she was glad that whenever they met, it was only to battle an Akuma, which left no time for a deep talk. And after they were done, there was barely any time for them to stay because their Miraculous would already be giving warning beeps by the end of every battle. She would give him a playful smile as usual as she seductively waved goodbye at him and then disappeared into the Parisian skyline.

Once she was home, however, her strong front crumbled as she stood in front of the mirror trying to convince herself that she'd done better this time. That nobody died.

But every single time, she would be reminded by the blood, the limp and cold body, and how inanimate that man was in her arms. Then it would continue to the fact that she had turned a little boy fatherless, and a kind woman husbandless. She would then drown herself into school work as distraction, pushing the rotten thoughts into the corner of her mind.

One night, Marinette was popping a sleeping pill into her mouth when Tikki spoke.

"Marinette, this is not the way out."

The bluehead blinked. "Uhm… what?"

The red kwami sighed before crossing her tiny arms. "It's been two weeks. This is not how you use sleeping pills. You've been consuming it nonstop and it's getting really concerning."

"But, Tikki, you know I can't sleep without it."

"Exactly. You can't sleep without it. You have a problem and you should talk it out instead of letting a bottle of pills solve it for you."

"Talk it out." Marinette parroted, somewhat bitterly. "With who? Who should I go to without having to say _'Oh hey, guess what? I'm Ladybug and I'm depressed because I let an innocent citizen die.'_?" She cringed after saying it herself. "Everyone probably think I'm just stressed out from school or something." She waved her hand and climbed up to her bed.

"You know you have someone you can talk to as Ladybug."

"I do?"

"Marinette."

"Come on, Tikki, are you seriously asking me to talk to _Chat Noir_?" she asked, stressing his name for no particular reason as she crawled into the blanket. "He'll probably just make fun of me."

"You know he won't. Remember how sweet he was at the hospital?"

"I guess… yeah. But still, this is my own problem to face."

"And from what I see, you're not facing it very well." Tikki frowned back when Marinette looked at her in protest. "Marinette, it is important to know when to seek help. There's nothing to be ashamed of. The two of you fight together side-by-side and understand each other better than anyone could ever do. There are things you can only confide in each other because no one else understands."

Marinette looked like she was in a deep thought before she said, "You know what? I can never turn down your advice."

"I know." Tikki giggled.

Marinette closed her eyes as she slowly drifted to sleep and mumbled, "I sure hope that cat doesn't get over the top, though."

Tikki smiled and tucked herself beside Marinette.

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"Pound it!"

They grinned as their fist collided.

"As heartbreaking as it is to say goodbye, M'lady, this cat has to return to his sweet home."

As he said that, Chat Noir bowed and took her hand before kissing her knuckles. He almost stumbled backward when she gripped his hand tight as he attempted to turn on his heels. He looked into her bluebell eyes and immediately knew what this is about.

"Bugaboo?" he asked, just to make sure.

The superheroine let go of his hand before looking anywhere but him. She fiddled with her fingers unconsciously as she bit her lip and he wanted to hit himself for thinking she was cute. "Can we talk?" she finally spoke, very quietly.

Chat was about to answer "Yes, of course, let us go like, right now!" on impulse if only his ring didn't give him its fourth warning beep.

"We'll go recharge and meet up at the Eiffel tower?" Chat suggested.

Ladybug nodded and gave him a small smile. "Sounds good to me," she said with a nod.

Chat mirrored her smile before waving at her and they both jumped out of sight.

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Chat looked around at the top of the Eiffel tower, wondering if Ladybug was already there. True enough, he spotted her sitting by one of the four sides, dangling her legs freely like she wasn't afraid to fall. Of course, she wasn't. She'd fly back up as quick. That was one of the things he admired about her.

The superhero didn't realize that he had been standing for almost a minute, just staring at her from the back, admiring her dark blue hair reflecting the orange light from the sky. The wind was strong at their height and she had to fix her hair from time to time so it didn't get to her face. For some reason, that gesture was so elegant and lady-like and Chat couldn't help but swoon at it. Boy was he hopelessly in love with this girl.

"Chat?" she called but didn't turn back. "I know you're there, you creepy stalker."

He couldn't help but laugh at her insult. "Whatever gave you the impression, M'lady?" he said nonchalantly as he walked to her side and took a spot, positioning himself so he was dangling his legs right beside hers.

"When you stare at someone for a good minute without saying anything?" She shrugged.

"Who am I to say you're wrong?" he said playfully and earned a punch in the arm. "So, what do I owe this pleasant afternoon to?"

The superheroine visibly tensed at his question but he decided not to point it out.

"So uh, remember two weeks ago?" she spoke up and then snorted. "What am I saying? How could anyone forget the greatest failure of Paris' superheroine? It's all over the news."

Chat cocked a brow at the sudden bitterness in her voice.

"So…I actually didn't want to drag you into this but Tikki–uh, my kwami, she insisted that I talk to you about it and…"

"It must be quite serious if Tikki had to _insist…_ "

She reluctantly nodded. "Apparently, yeah, she thought it's not okay for me to consume sleeping pills every day and–"

Chat was visibly taken aback. "Wait, you what?!" He yelled, flabbergasted. "Sleeping pills? _Every day_?" he snapped and she shrunk. "Bugaboo, _why_ didn't you talk to me sooner? You're killing yourself!"

"Well, uhm, it's not as bad as it sounds." She showed a reassuring smile. "I do eat three times a day and I'm not cooped up in my room brooding over this. I still go to school and talk to my friends so it's all good. But at night I either can't sleep or have nightmares. It's seriously nothing bad, but I guess Tikki sees it worse."

Chat crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at her. "As a matter of fact, M'lady, it sounds to me that you're sugarcoating everything."

"Do I sound like that?"

"Very much so."

"Well, it wasn't my intention."

"M'lady," he sighed, "How long have we been partners?" he asked and she blinked.

"I guess it's a little bit over one year? Where are you going with this question, though?" she asked in mild confusion.

"Well, I don't know about you but that's enough time for me to tell you're lying without having to turn it all, y'know, verbal?" Ladybug frowned but he continued. "Do you know you have this habit to touch either your neck or your wrist or your hair when you're lying? I doubt anyone's ever told you that?"

Her jaw dropped as she started feeling self-conscious and that answered his question.

"Your back is also slightly hunched when you feel uncomfortable telling the truth," he said and she immediately straightened her back, which he found cute. "And–"

"Okay, enough! Embarrassing me is not what this talk is supposed to be about!" She yelped, burying her face in her hands. He could spot the redness of her ears that almost matched her suit.

"You're right. So, let me guess. This is what I think. You believe you have disappointed everyone because of what happened two weeks ago?"

"I… might have thoughts like that, yeah."

"See? Told you I could tell."

"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes. He just had to boast whenever he got one thing right.

"I'm sorry I couldn't' save you."

Those words struck Ladybug like never before; the way he said it made the strong fortress in her heart crumble. Her breath was caught in her throat and tears pricked behind her eyes. Her lips quivered and she honestly didn't want him to see her in this situation. Before he could turn to see her face, she rested her forehead on his shoulder, making him jump a bit.

"M'lady?" he asked carefully.

"I… I'm not the one who should be saved, Chat. It was me. I failed. I was a failure. And you know what, that word never left my head since that day. Not once. It haunts me in my dreams, in my wake, in every second of my life. I tried not to think about it but it kills me. Before I know it, I feel like I've failed every aspect of my life. I lied. I barely ate anything. I ate and threw up everything. I didn't know how to eat without thinking I've stolen someone's luxury to do so. How could I live and talk and breathe and laugh while I robbed every single one of those things from someone? I believe I've lost the right to live. But at the same time I didn't want to give up because it resolves nothing if I die and–"

"Ladybug!"

She stopped, catching her breath and biting back her sobs.

"Sssh, it's alright. Look at me, Bugaboo." He gently cupped her cheeks and slowly made her look at him. His heart broke when he saw her eyes red and puffy, tears still streaming down her cheeks with no sign of stopping, and her jaw trembled like a little child. He didn't know if she realized that she was gripping onto his wrists like her life depended on it.

"I… I don't know what to do anymore, Chat. I-it hurts me so much but there's nothing I can do." She broke down, crying and whimpering like a dam that was broken and the water couldn't stop. "What do I do…" she squeaked.

He bit his lip and he could feel his eyes glistening as well because there was the girl he loved, breaking apart and within his reach. Without thinking, he pulled her into a tight embrace, patting her back as she choked on her own tears. She didn't hug him back but buried her face in his shoulder blade.

"You're the strongest girl I know, Ladybug. And the fact that you've fallen this low breaks my heart. You deserve none of this." She shook her head in his embrace and he held her tighter. "No, you listen to me, you stubborn little bug! It's not your fault and one day you'll understand. I'll save you. I'll save you because you deserve it and there's nothing you can do about it, do you hear me?"

"Chat…" she whimpered before nodding and hugging him back.

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It had been a while since Ladybug calmed down. They were back to sitting position side by side and Chat put his hand on top of hers, just enough to make her feel safe but not being too intimate.

Ladybug sighed. "Thanks again for accompanying me this afternoon, Chat."

"Are you starting to regret turning me down?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Aren't you just wonderful at ruining the atmosphere?"

"Me-ouch! This cat is hurt, M'lady! Now he needs kisses on the wounds," he chirped playfully as he clasped his hands and leaned closer.

She put a hand on his face and laughed.

"You're such a dork."

They laughed together for a while, absorbing the great Parisian view as the sky got darker and golden lights emerged from below them, creating breathtaking gradient. Ladybug closed her eyes and felt the wind in her face. A smile never left her face.

Beside her, Chat had the same smile as he looked at her lovingly, feeling nothing but warm happiness that he had done his Lady good.

Daringly, he placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her close so her head was slightly touching his chest. She seemed a bit tensed for one second but immediately relaxed.

"Uhm, what do you think you're doing?" she asked.

He snickered. "Never mind this cat just practicing a completely platonic gesture of affection."

Ladybug looked up at him from her position, seeing that, despite the cocky smile on his face, he was flustered and looking elsewhere. She smiled and closed her eyes, snuggling closer and ignorning the increasingly audible sound of his rapid heart beating.

"If you say so, kitty."

"I am _paw_ sitive, M'lady."

He tried to be brave and placed a hand on top of her head, stroking it softly as she hummed. And that evening, he fell for her all over again.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

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 _ **I love reviews. If you like this story, please hit that cute button and give me love :(**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again, guys! Do you miss me?**

 **To be honest I was thinking of taking more break from updating but** _ **Animekitty9**_ ' **s review made me reconsider. So, there you go!**

 **Also, I'll take this opportunity to confirm that** _ **Love in the Dark**_ **will have way more than 5 chapters because I'm still writing chapter 7 and it's not even close to the end. Will try to end at chapter 10, though ;)**

 **Also I'll share a little something about why I started this fanfic (aside from the fair share of libido I got from episode 9, of course). So it was a night before episode 9 aired. I didn't have dinner and I slept so late so I got a bit too hungry and my stomach hurt like a bitch but I couldn't afford to eat anything because it was already so late. So I just tried to sleep while trying to think of a fanfic plot to distract myself.**

 **So, yeah, like Marinette, I also like to neglect my health. If anything hurts I'll just ignore it until it's gone. Or sleep. Or just take some meds that'll make me feel better. I literally only saw a doctor once in my whole life and that's when I was in middle school and was down with Dengue Fever and had to be hospitalized for a week.**

 **To be honest, I only shared that story so you guys don't feel like Marinette neglecting her health is irrational or doesn't make sense. It can totally happen. Although at some point you just refuse to see a doctor because you don't want to be diagnosed with something bad and become self-conscious and die of stress instead lol.**

 **Anyway, this is the Adrinette chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!**

* * *

 _ **[Love in the Dark]**_

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 _Chapter 5_

Marinette had tossed her remaining sleeping pills to the garbage can and bid goodbye to it after she went home from consoling with her superhero partner.

There was a smile on her face and a heavy load off her shoulder that night as she drifted to sleep.

One stress-less week later, Marinette found herself still eating less than she used to before the incident. She figured she couldn't eat much before because of the guilt and stress, but even after she believed she was alright, it was hard to get any food to pass her digestive system. Whenever she ate more than her newly-found diet, she would get nauseous and mild headache all day. She also found herself avoiding a number of foods as they're especially potent in giving her nausea. As to not worry her parents, she convinced them that she's dieting so she could fit into her prom dress.

It was a week later that she began experiencing mild stomachache that didn't bother her daily life much if she consumed the right pills. She couldn't bear to let mild stomachache to hinder her important school projects, after all. She was the class rep and she had to be the role model for the other students. Being late on literally every school day was already enough downside of hers.

"Girl, you don't look well. Did you eat something bad?"

Alya had asked one day during break time when the two of them were reviewing papers full of complaints from the class that they had to fix as the class rep. Alya also helped Marinette sort out some documents they just collected because she knew it wasn't her best friend's forte.

Marinette rubbed her belly and her back hunched. "Ugh, it's nothing serious but my stomach hurts a lot lately and I don't know why."

"Was it something you eat?"

"I barely even eat anything."

"Maybe that's the problem."

"How so?"

"I don't know," the Indian girl shrugged, "Gastric pain?"

In the middle of their conversation, Adrien walked in with Nino, talking about some kind of live concert that Adrien didn't get to go to because his Father believed that it was a bad influence.

That was when a smile grew on Marinette's face as she watched him get to his seat. It was as if all the pain dissipated from her stomach, replacing it with butterflies.

"Seems like you have your medicine right there," Alya teased, nudging her best friend's side, making the bluehead jump.

"Wh-what?" she squeaked and Alya wondered if she actually thought she was being subtle about it. "Ugh, will you stop teasing me?" she groaned.

It was when Nino suddenly turned around and shoved a plastic of something that smelled good but somehow stirred the inside of Marinette's stomach. "Hey, ladies, you wanna try this new stuff they sold at the cafeteria? I think it's called Popcorn Chicken or something," he offered with a grin and a thumb up, "I'd say it's pretty legit."

"Sure, babe," Alya said casually as she dove her hand into the plastic bag.

Marinette was about to say no when she saw Adrien turn around with his mouth full of what she assumed as the Popcorn chicken. His cheeks puffed like a hamster and his eyes lit up like a little boy meeting Santa Claus. And she choked on her own laughter.

"Whaaat?" Adrien asked after swallowing the food, pouting slightly.

"I-I'm sorry!" She squeaked as she tried hard not to laugh.

Looking at her, Adrien smiled and laughed a bit, too. "I'm sorry, I don't get to eat this kind of stuff very often. You know… the whole model diet thing. Honestly, it's not like I'll start looking like a pig from consuming carbs every now and then."

Marinette was robbed of her ability to talk when Adrien suddenly talked a lot about himself. She blinked in mild surprise and tried to think of how to answer him without sounding like an aphasic wreck.

"Uhm, yeah, I mean even if you do become a pig, you'd be a good-looking one–I mean! A cute pig! Like a piglet! With golden curls! Like a prince piglet! I mean–oh my God, I'm a pig…" she mumbled, burying her face into her hands.

Alya snorted and Nino looked at her like she'd just grown another head.

There, an aphasic wreck she was.

She tried to peek at Adrien's reaction only to see him blink a few times before bursting into laughter.

"Prince piglet? Marinette, you're so cute! Makes me wonder why we don't talk more often!"

Those words pulled Marinette up to cloud nine and threw her to hell and back to the clouds again. Stomachache and weeks of depression be damned. Because Adrien Agreste just said she's cute and wanted them to talk more often. That smile was what breathed her life. She lived for that bright smile and beautiful laughter. And he said she's cute.

Marinette couldn't help but giggle with him. His happiness always rubbed off on her.

"Come on, Marinette, you gotta try this. Totally recommended!" Adrien said cheerfully after he stopped laughing, snatching the bag of fried chicken from Nino's hand and offering it to the bluehead.

"Th-thanks, Adrien," she said nervously and grabbed one piece of the chicken.

After that, Adrien shoved a few pieces into his mouth again and that had Marinette smiling while nibbling on hers, forgetting the fact that she hadn't been eating fried foods for weeks because they made her sick. Because Adrien Agreste just said she's cute.

She shouldn't have forgotten, though, because not long after she finished her small fried chicken, she felt her stomach stir. She put a hand on her mouth to hopefully hold back the upcoming doom.

Her three friends looked concerned, but before they could ask anything, she shot up from her seat and rushed to the bathroom.

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"Girl, you need a break from school! And real meds! Go see a doctor! Whatever it is, do it quick!"

Alya put her hands on her hips as she scowled.

"Seriously, Alya? A doctor?" Marinette scoffed, wiping her hands and the corner of her mouth with her pink polkadot handkerchief before fixing her hair in front of the bathroom mirror. "Surely I'll be awarded as the most dramatic girl with stomachache." She rolled her eyes.

"You just threw up your whole lunch and you think it's not serious enough?" Alya scolded. "What, do you have to throw up your whole stomach before you would _consider_ seeing a doctor?" she ended with sarcasm.

"I'm perfectly fine. If everyone with stomachache who throw up their lunch goes to see a doctor, the hospital would be flooded."

Alya grunted and massaged the bridge of her nose. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Marinette placed her handkerchief back into her pocket before facing her best friend and said, "I'm sorry, Alya. I know you're just worried for me but I really don't have time for this."

"Just what have you been so busy about? You never even tell me. I mean I understand homework and the class rep job and helping your parents but you seem too tired for you to just be doing those things."

"Well, uhm," Marinette mumbled while blinking in slight panic. "I, uhm–"

Marinette had to thank God when a scream broke and Alya immediately produced her phone from her pants' pocket.

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"Nice of you to drop in, M'lady."

The superhero clad in black teased when Ladybug finally arrived to the scene, walking elegantly as usual although she looked a little bit unwell. He was contemplating whether to ask her or just pretended he was the ignorant cat she labeled him as.

"Oh, I was just around the corner." Her tone was equally teasing as she flicked his bell.

Chat tried not to faint from her gesture. "Figured," he said as he regained his cool. "After all, you're always at the corner of my mind," he said breathily, leaning closer to her ear as he grinned.

"Seriously?" she huffed, but smiled and rolled her eyes.

Chat chuckled before cocking his head when he noticed something just below Ladybug's chest. "By no means to be rude, M'lady, but are you getting fat?"

Ladybug frowned. " _Excuse me_?"

Before they could continue their casual conversation, the octopus-like Akuma's hands extended and attempted to swipe them, but they jumped up as fast to avoid his attack.

"Shall we focus on being superheroes first?"

"Good idea."

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"Well, that was easy."

Ladybug commented, putting a hand on her hip as she observed the giant octopus in front of her that was trapped by her yo-yo string, wiggling and trying to get away. The battle didn't last longer than half an hour, and although she did use her Lucky Charm, it wasn't because they were driven into the corner but more to because her yo-yo alone didn't seem to give much impact on the Akuma.

"As long as you don't let it ten- _tackle_ you, it's more or less an easy job. Now, we only need to grab the Akumatized item and we can get _kraken_!" Chat said, cracking his knuckles while trying to sound like a bad boy.

"Oh God, please no." Ladybug shuddered.

"What is it, M'lady? Am I too much for you to _hand_ le? Do I _octopi_ your heart?" He leaned closer with each sentence.

"Alright, seriously, stop." She shoved a hand in his face. "Why do I even know you– _Chat, watch out!_ "

The next thing he knew, Chat fell on his butt and saw Ladybug got thrown to the nearest building when one of the Akuma's hands swiped her away, landing with a disturbingly loud crack when she collided with the wall. His heart fell into his stomach when he saw her cough out thick, red blood, as she fell onto the ground, writhing as she hugged her abdomen.

He couldn't remember what happened next, but he remembered leaping onto the enormous Akuma and using his Cataclysm to destroy a bracelet encircling one of the tentacles before effectively drawing out the Akuma. His heart beating violently as he did so.

He let the black butterfly soar to the sky and rushed to his Lady's side as swiftly as his limbs permitted.

"Ladybug!" he yelled her name in grave worry as he helped her up.

She coughed out some more blood before forcing herself to say, "It's alright, kitty, I'm okay," with a hoarse voice and winced when he helped her up.

He handed her the Lucky Charm item and her yo-yo and she grabbed onto it before throwing it into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug," she whispered before the pink light engulfed the Akuma and its surrounding. The pink light engulfed her as well, and Chat could finally relax when he saw the trail of blood gone from the corner of her mouth and she looked less paler.

Although she looked a bit unsteady, she got up to catch the Akuma and turned it into a white butterfly.

"Bye bye, little butterfly," he heard her say softly.

He only saw her back as she looked up at where the butterfly went, still hunching her back a little while holding her abdomen. She looked so beautiful nonetheless and he wondered how she could look so perfect in any situation. With her suit reflecting the light, she looked almost surreal, like she could disappear if he blinked. He was so hopelessly drawn to her like a moth would to flame.

And it was then when he felt his flame died.

By the time her earrings gave the third warning beep, Ladybug fell on her knees and coughed out the red liquid that he had grown to fear so much within the past month before dropping her body onto the ground.

Again, he couldn't save her.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 _ **I truly have to say that, as much as I enjoyed writing the Adrinette exchange, nothing can beat Ladynoir interactions to me. Every word coming from their mouth is simply so sexy I'm so weak, man. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it hehehe**_

 _ **To avoid giving you guys any math homework, by the end of this chapter, the timeline is one month before chapter 1. How do you guys feel seeing Marinette's health gradually deteriorate? I'm also emphasizing the "neglect" element because it's literally in my summary.**_

 _ **Please drop me some reviews so I'll spend my day happily ;)**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys I'm back from making merchs yay! Am I missed? Who am I kidding? Y'all probably already forgot this fanfic even exists lmao**

 **But like it or not, here's chapter 6! It's not very long and not many things happen but I'll make sure a lot of things happen in the next chapter. Btw, I'm still bummed about the delayed episode 11, though. Why can't the TV station just air the episodes on a fixed schedule? :(**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!**

* * *

 _ **[Love in the Dark]**_

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 _Chapter 6_

Marinette slowly opened her eyes, fighting the heavy drowsiness that attacked her once she did. It was hard and she kept fluttering her eyes that she began to wonder if she was still inside her dream. Then she squeezed her eyes shut, not realizing that her whole body tensed up as well, following the gesture. And that was when she realized her arms were holding something warm.

It was someone's neck.

She was being carried by someone.

She tried to open her eyes again and saw blond hair right in front of her vision.

Adrien…?

No. Now she began to remember that she was in the middle of an Akuma battle when she collapsed. So it must be Chat who was carrying her. Except he was in his civilian form, apparent by the absence of cat ears and leather suit overall.

"My Lady?" he asked, aware of her movement.

She wanted to answer but her voice died in her throat and instead, she coughed out dry blood.

"There's no need to answer me. I'm just glad you're awake." His voice sounded like nothing but pure relief. To let him know she was indeed awake, she nodded against his neck.

Odd, how Chat sounded so much like Adrien when she closed her eyes.

She began to hear her surrounding as well. They were walking by a very quiet place with only occasional chattering heard from the distance. His slow footsteps and even breathing was basically the only things she could hear clearly.

The bluehead opened her mouth to say something but only weird noises came out. She cleared her throat and tried again, "Did you… see my face?" she asked reluctantly.

Relief washed over her when she felt him shook his head. "I was on my way to the hospital when our transformation suddenly wore off and I had to find a place to hide and basically now that you woke up, I'm wondering if we should go anyway."

She shook her head.

"I'll go home."

"Will you give this cat the pleasure to escort you?"

"I'm afraid it's too early for that."

"Aw, and here I thought I could trick you into giving me your address. Then my next goal would be your phone number."

"You alley cat."

"Forgive me, M'lady, but you must be well-aware of how much this cat adores his bug."

She was just there behind him; her entire body literally pressing against his, but there was so much space between them. There was an endless space that was their real identity he could never cross.

Ladybug slowly got down when he squatted, taking her time regaining balance as he got up again; his back facing her. It didn't take long before she patted his back a coupld of times and said, "Thanks for everything, kitty. I owe you one."

"I'll keep your word, Milady. You owe me now."

He could practically feel her roll her eyes.

"Whatever. See you around, and don't look back before I leave!"

"Cat's honor."

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 _[One month later]_

When her drowsiness subsided, Marinette opened her eyes again. She turned her head to see that Chat was still there with his back facing her. How many times had she seen this familiar sight for the last two months?

"Aren't you going home? It's getting dark."

It felt odd to see him in white, if she had to be honest. But for some reason, she thought it suited him.

He shifted a bit before answering her.

"And leave you here alone? Never." He scoffed. "I would've loved to give my beloved Lady a lift home but it seems you're still bent on thinking your secret identity is more important than your survival." He started sweet and ended bitterly.

"Wow, that's so _sweet_ of you." Marinette rolled her eyes.

"I know what you're talking about, Bugaboo. I'm by far the sweetest man _I_ know." She could hear him smirk.

"Get out." She snorted yet genuinely smiled.

"I'm glad you seem better now, Ladybug." He showed her a thumb up. "Although I technically can't _see_ you. But having been my partner for more than a year, you should be able to interpret the ambiguous usage of vocabulary that is my natural speech style by now."

It made her reminince the first time they met. "Mm-hmm, it's been quite long, huh?" she answered, ignoring his attempt to sound suave.

"It has been quite long, M'lady."

"You're my best friend, you know?" Marinette said with the most loving voice she could manage in her situation and wished her message was conveyed to him.

"If you'd ask me, M'lady, I would've told you we could be more."

"Seriously? Now? Wow, thanks for ruining the moment." He could feel her roll her eyes from her voice alone and it made him smile.

Adrien looked at the slowly-moving cloud in the orange sky just to keep his vision and mind occupied with something that wasn't Ladybug's seemingly dire situation. In his mind, he tried to think that it wasn't as bad as it sounded. Maybe she was just being a little bit dramatic about it. Although he was usually in charge of drama, but maybe this time she wanted to take the role. Yeah, it must be that.

Their previous battle flashed in his mind. How Ladybug suddenly showed up after his one-hour lone battle, kicking the Akuma's ass gloriously like she always did, and purified it before one could say Chupacabra. He was just going to shower her with praises and pickup lines like usual before she suddenly coughed out blood and collapsed, leaving him in horror.

Adrien shook his head. No, he wasn't supposed to think about that. He was supposed to think happy thoughts. Right. Like that one time Ladybug gifted him a beanie that strangely suited that scarf his dad gave him–

"I love you so much, kitty. You know that, right?"

Adrien's throat felt like sandpaper. He smiled anyway, so she could sense it in his voice. "Don't go giving this cat the wrong idea, Bugaboo. You know cats are very clingy. You don't like clingy."

"I don't hate it, actually. Sometimes it's cute."

If he was still in the suit, his cat ears would've perked up from her words. "Have you admitted that your kitty is the cutest kitty ever?" he asked teasingly. Oh how he wished he could turn around and see her and tell her how much he loved her.

She allowed a low chuckle before she hissed in pain. It seemed the pills weren't working well. "I didn't say that much, did I? You know, you could've been so much more without that narcissistic part of yours."

"What do you propose I could've been? Perhaps, your boyfriend?"

"Pft, dream on."

"Me-ouch! Cats are allowed some dreams, aren't they?"

"Mm-hmm," she hummed, and he guessed she was trying to get up from her lying position. She was groaning and hissing while she did, and he honestly wanted nothing but to help her up. Scratch that, he would've just scooped her up and carried her home bridal style for all he cared. How could he let her do anything in her condition?

"Ouch!" she yelped and he instinctively turned around. "No!" she screamed at him and he stopped halfway, just enough to turn his face but not his eyes. "Don't," she said in a heartbreaking voice.

"Mari – Ladybug! You can't go back by yourself like this. You need Chat's help!"

"Shush, Tikki! Stop making a big deal out of it."

"From what I can hear from here, it does sound like a big deal, Bugaboo. You don't groan and hiss when you're in glee."

"Ha ha, very funny." He heard her stick her tongue out. "Honestly, can you transform already? Looking at your back makes me think you're someone else I know."

Adrien immediately took this opportunity to confirm his suspicion. "Oh? Then maybe we _do_ know each other in real life. Say, maybe we go to the same school?"

"Please. What are the odds?"

"Don't you believe in destiny, Ladybug?"

She was quiet for a few seconds. Her mind went to the news she got a few hours ago. When she was ready to give up and say goodbye. Something in her, probably her guts, gave her a strong feeling that she really knew Chat in real life. Like he said, they could actually be acquaintances. Maybe even friends.

But wouldn't it make everything harder then?

She inhaled. "No, I don't."

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 ** _Uh-oh, what's up with Marinette's condition? Follow the story to t_** ** _he end to find out ;)_**

 _ **Also, if you're interested in MLB merchs, I'm opening pre-orders for stickers, postcards and keychains until the end of the week. Check out my instagram account**_ **yukifrill _if you are :D_**

 ** _Anyway, see you next chapter!_**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, guys! It's been, what, ten months? Yes, almost a year since I irresponsibly left this fanfic on an indefinite hiatus. I can't even promise I'll update regularly after this. I think y'all who received the notification for this update will be like, "Wait, what fanfic was this again?" and I can't blame you for the memory loss because it's indeed been too long :")**

 **Also, if any of you has started shipping Gabriel and Nathalie since the end of S2, feel free to check out my newest fanfic (which is already completed, by the way, don't kill me please) _"Protector"_! I need more friends to fangirl about this new ship I've trapped myself into D":**

 **Without further ado, please enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!**

* * *

 _ **[Love in the Dark]**_

 _._

 _._

 _Chapter 7_

 _[One day ago – 7am]_

"Oh no, I'm late!" Marinette shot up from her bed in wild panic, jumped off her bed and sprung to the wardrobe like The Flash. Without thinking, she grabbed any clothes she landed her hand on and got changed as fast as she could.

"Marinette, your alarm hasn't even gone off," Tikki mumbled, rubbing her eyes with her tiny paws.

"I just remember that I've promised Alya to come early–"

" _In your sleep_?" Tikki blinked.

"–so we can discuss about the upcoming school event and what our class will do. You know, the class rep job!" Marinette nodded to herself as she did her hair in front of the mirror.

"But you're barely resting this week. Even at night, you have patrol."

"Don't worry about me, Tikki, by now I should know what I signed up for when I agreed to be Ladybug." Marinette gave a charismatic Ladybug wink to her concerned kwami, hoping maybe it could ease her worry.

"But–"

Marinette cut her with a sigh.

"I know, Tikki. You're only thinking about my well-being, but I've been dumping a handful of class rep job on Alya because of the bombardment of Akuma attacks recently. I can't keep letting her do my job and then take the credits." Tikki flew to her side and Marinette poked her cheek. "It's not fair for her. Right, Tikki?"

"I can't say you're wrong. But even Alya knows how much your health is deteriorating lately. She's your friend. She'll understand."

"I don't _want_ her to understand, Tikki." She sighed again, now exasperatedly. "I want to be able to do my job well. Both as Ladybug _and_ Marinette."

Tikki caressed her Chosen's cheek and whispered lovingly like a mother would, "You _are_ doing a good job for both sides. But it's better in the long-run to rest when you need it. I won't ask you to cancel your plan this morning because you already promised Alya, but next time, please reconsider when you make plans. I mean, when you're healthy again, you can always return the favor!"

Marinette looked down, ashamed. "You're right."

"You know I always am," Tikki chirped, hugging the bluehead's cheek.

* * *

Marinette spent her whole morning discussing class events with Alya while snacking on the croissants she brought from home; the perks being being friends with a Dupain-Cheng, she might say. They tossed in ideas and scrapped them, carefully considering the pros and cons. They didn't forget to take their friends' suggestions into account. The discussion went pretty well because they put their minds into it, and Marinette was pleased to know that she had contributed to her class rep job properly.

When they were done jotting down the event rundown, Marinette stretched and cracked her neck. Only by then did she notice that the class was almost full of students.

"Good job, girl," Alya said and they gave each other a high five.

"You too," Marinette said joyfully despite feeling the exhaustion finally kicking in.

"Ooh! Have you decided on what to do for the event? I hope my charity idea's taken into consideration!" Rose chirped, practically shoving her face into the two and they nodded at her.

"Good job coming so early to discuss. Want some warm tea?" Mylene offered, and the class rep duo accepted her good intention gratefully.

"Well, I have zero percent doubt that it will absolutely be an unprecedentedly extravagant event if the organizer is Marinette." Max fixed his glasses and nodded before walking to his seat.

Some more people stopped by her table to give her a pat in the back for job well done and a thank you and Marinette giggled. Waking up in the morning was worth it, after all. She wasn't compliment-driven but she did love the respect she earned through hardwork.

"Where are you going, girl?" Alya asked when she got up from her seat.

"To the restroom. I've been holding it in since the discussion because it was too _exciting_." Marinette made an exaggerating gesture at the end of her sentence.

Alya chuckled. "Sure. Don't get lost, though."

She stuck her tongue out.

* * *

When Adrien walked into his car, he felt as though he had developed dissociative identity disorder overnight. One Adrien wanted to believe Marinette was Ladybug; the other? Well, not much, really. He had only started a "Reasons Why Marinette Can't Be Ladybug" investigation case with the first evident being: Plagg didn't say yes. Oh, and don't forget one more Adrien who was brainstorming on how to make his Father less disappointed as days go by.

The entire ride to school was torturous, why? Because he had no idea how many times his mind had repeatedly confirmed and denied the correlation between these two amazing girls who happened to be the center of his thoughts. It was driving him absolutely insane. He had always been fond of going to school and there wasn't a day when he wasn't looking forward to it but couldn't this damn car go any _faster?_

He needed to watch Marinette closely the whole day and say for himself whether she was really his partner.

When the car pulled over the school entrance, Adrien literally rapped a "thank you" and "goodbye" to Gorilla before hopping off the car and bolting into the school like a bullet he could've sworn some people were looking at him. With what kind of expression, he didn't want to know.

He really should take it easy, though, because he ran onto someone and nearly sent them tumbling down if he didn't immediately grab their arm. Nino, who happened to be nearby, approached him to stand by his side in amusement.

"Oh my God, Marinette, you're bruised!" Adrien exclaimed once he let go of the person's arm. Okay, he did say he wanted to watch her closely today but not that close as to almost cause her an accidental death. "Are you okay? Don't tell me it's because of me?"

"Dude, chill out." Nino slapped his back. "You just ran into her like, just now. Even bruises need time to show up."

"Nino's right." Marinette nodded eagerly. "I-it's okay, Adrien, I just accidentally hit my uhmm… wardrobe, this morning when I was changi–Uh, but, uhm, you didn't wanna know that, heehee!" Adrien almost couldn't fight back his grin when he saw her giggle one second and then groan by the next. "You know what, I'll go!" she exclaimed before turning on her heels to dash off but he gripped his wrist and she almost stumbled forward.

"A-A-Adrien?" she spluttered before she winced. "Ouch!"

"Oh no, I'm sorry! Did I grip too hard?"

"No, no!" She waved her hands in a hurry. "I've just been very weak to pain lately. I bruise like a peach, too, it's really troublesome and– Oh my God, I'm sorry for blabbering!"

He was honestly alright with it and she was totally not blabbering. To be honest, it made him feel so curious because she kept cutting her stories halfway. He needed as much information on her that he could get so maybe he could cross-check it with Ladybug later on. Come on, cliffhangers aren't cool!

"It's fine, Marinette. In fact, I'd love to hear more about you. We're friends, aren't we?" Adrien wondered if he'd made it too obvious that he wanted to dig information out of her but he flashed the best Agreste smile he could muster.

The girl looked like she'd been standing under scorching hot, glaring sun for hours because she was suddenly so red to the point of looking feverish. Beside him, Nino seemed to be typing in lightning speed.

"Marinette, are you really okay?" Adrien asked when the girl went quiet for almost a minute.

"I—" she squeaked. "I'm okay! Yes, why wouldn't I be? I mean, the morning is good. I'm not late to school. I finished the school event rundown on time. And we're friends! Everything is well in the world. _Don'tchathinksotooAdrien_?!" she talked so fast Adrien thought she was speaking Russian but he smiled anyway.

"Alright. Shall we walk to the class together, M'la— _Marinette!_ " he almost slipped.

Marinette looked at him confusedly for a while but forced a smile and nodded.

* * *

The day went by swimmingly. Adrien took notice of the little things he used to let slip, such as how Marinette had the exact same hairstyle and eye color as Ladybug. How many freckles she had. How she would tense up when he caught him looking at her in class.

Adrien had taken an opportunity to subtly interrogate her during lunch with innocent questions; asking her favorite color, her favorite ice cream flavor, her favorite singer, her favorite country. When she started getting a little more comfortable with telling him about herself, he went from innocent questions to a full-fledged biography interview. He'd asked about her childhood, her parents, her parents parents', and maybe the entire family tree she knew if only Alya and Nino didn't start giving him the look.

He couldn't help it. He kept imagining little Ladybug with her parents visiting her grandparents in China and wanted to hear more. Or little Ladybug baking her mother's birthday cake with her father to surprise her. Or little Ladybug riding bicycle for the first time. Oh, all the precious images safely put away in his memory bank.

"So are your grandparents' parents from the—"

"Aand that's as far as you'll go, Agreste," Alya cut, shoving her face in front of Marinette who sat across him so she could maybe hide the poor, flustered girl from the flurry of personal questions.

"But I wasn't finished—"

"Yeah, but our lunch break will, in five minutes. We gotta go. Chop chop!"

"And dude, you gotta finish your lunch. All the talking's robbed your attention from that poor salad."

Nino's words snapped him out of his trance. He realized that his salad was still half-full and so was Marinette's. The two of them rushed to finish their lunch so they could make it before the bell rang.

* * *

When Miss Bustier gave out their next assignment, Adrien didn't even have to act out to snatch an opportunity to team up with his Lady—oh wait, no, he meant Marinette; it wasn't confirmed that she was his Lady yet, silly him—because Nino had made it his personal mission to not team up with him. Gee, he was absolutely the best of friend a man could ever hope for.

"Two guys teaming up for sewing? Not happening." Nino gestured his hand for a firm 'no'. "Last time my dude touched a needle, I almost lost an eye, thank you very much."

"Hey!" Adrien scowled in protest. "Only because you're bent on bombarding me with those dry, and not to mention uncreative, acupuncture jokes!" He whined defensively before turning to the girls, who were already holding their laughter. "Don't listen to him. I did that on purpose, not because I couldn't hold a needle to save my life."

His excuse seemed to go past the blogger. "Wow, I mean the perfect Adrien Agreste doesn't seem so perfect anymore now, does he, Mari?" Alya joked, nudging Marinette on the sides.

Adrien showed an abandoned kitty face and turned to Marinette for help, making her weak.

"I-uhm, I think it's cute–I MEAN! Not cute but adorable?" Marinette automatically slapped herself, startling her three friends. "Oh shoot, not that! The other word! Uh, I mean there's nothing bad about not being able to hold a needle! I can't even stand not tripping over myself once a day so it's not that bad, Adrien! _Hee hee_!"

Adrien looked proud. "See? You all are just trying to bring me down. We need more people like Marinette around here."

At that, Marinette buried her face in her palms.

"Sure. You go with Marinette, then. I'll go with Alya." Nino flashed his girlfriend a look that she returned. "A win-win situation, if you ask me. Nobody needs to lose an eye."

"That was _one_ time!" Adrien glowered playfully. "I'm never going to hear the end of it, am I?"

"Not a chance, dude."

The girls giggled at their antics.

Adrien mentally congratulated himself because his plan of discreetly making his way to team up with Marinette ended in a success. Little did he know, he was a pawn of the other two's master plan.

* * *

 _ **Not many important things happened in this chapter but that's a lot of Adrinette fluff for ya ;)**_

 _ **See you again next time. Can't promise when I'd update again but I'll try to actually finish this story!**_


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